This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-155494, filed May 29, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manual paper feeding apparatus which manually feeds paper to an electrophotographic copier, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a conventional paper feeding apparatus of this type, which is built in the open/close door provided on the side of the main unit of a copier. This manual paper feeding apparatus is provided with a tray for manual paper feeding. Paper is manually fed from this tray and taken in with a pickup roller, and fed between a paper feed roller and a separation roller. By the rotation of the paper feed roller and separation roller, the sheets of paper are separated one by one, held and carried by a pair of carry rollers, and supplied to an image transfer unit.
However, paper may cause a jam during manual paper feeding. When a paper jam occurs, the door is opened and the manual paper feeding apparatus is removed from the copier, and the jammed paper is removed.
In the conventional manual paper feeding apparatus, a pressure release mechanism is provided, which interlocks with the opening of the door, releases the pressure applied to the paper by separating the paper feed roller and separation roller, and the jammed paper is removed. Thus, there arises inconvenience that a pressurizing mechanism is required, the cost rises, and paper is damaged when the door is opened.
The present invention has been made to eliminate the above inconvenience. It is an object of the present invention is to provide a manual paper feeding apparatus which can easily remove a paper jam without requiring a pressure release mechanism and opening an open/close door.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manual paper feeding apparatus comprising a tray for manual paper feeding; a paper feed roller to feed the paper fed manually from the tray; a separation roller which is pressed to contact the paper feed roller, and rotated at the pressed contact position in the direction reverse to the paper feed roller, and separates the sheets of paper one by one; a power transmission device to transmit power to the paper feed roller and separation roller; and a reversing device which is provided in the power transmission device, and rotates the paper feed roller in the direction reverse to the paper feeding direction, based on that the paper fed to between the paper feed roller and separation roller is pulled in the direction reverse to the manual feeding direction.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manual paper feeding apparatus comprising a tray to receive the paper fed manually; a pickup roller to pick up the paper fed manually to the tray; a paper feed roller to feed the paper picked up by the pickup roller; a separation roller which is pressed to contact the paper feed roller, and rotated at the pressed contact position in the direction reverse to the paper feed roller, and separates the paper one by one; a pair of carry rollers to hold and carry the paper fed by the paper feed roller; a power transmission device to transmit power to the pair of carry rollers, paper feed roller and separation roller; and a reversing device which rotates the carry roller and paper feed roller in the direction reverse to the paper feeding direction, based on that the paper fed to between the paper feed roller and separation roller, and between the pair of carry rollers, is pulled in the direction reverse to the manual feeding direction.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.